Golf ball



R. SIBLEY LF BALL Filed Feb'. 5, 1950 TENS/0N 12345 www a large part by Patented May 10, 19 32 onaianns n. SIBLEY, or

TION, 0F LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, A QORI'OBATION OF MASSAGEUSETTfi GOLF BALL H Application filed This invention relates to golf balls of the type which have a resilient core woun 0 rubber thread. improvements in the character or structure of the winding whereby the ball is made more responsive to the blow of the it may be relied upon for longer flights than balls heretofore known.v V

The range of a golf ball is determined in two factors; first, the distance the distortion of its resilient core under the impact of the club and, second, by the speed or activity with which the core reassumes its normal shape after being distorted. The range ofthe ball, therefore, may be improved by so constructing the core as to facilitate the distortion of its outer zone, or at least to permit such distortion to take place without substantial internal resistance. The action of the outer zone of the core is of primary importance in determining the flight of the ball because it is only this portion of or magnltude of i the ball which is of sufficient diameter to be the outer zone of the core is a by increasing susceptible V rebound effect is intensified by rendering the outer zone of the core as highly resilient as possible, as forexample, by highlytensloning the rubber thread of its, windings. Ihave discovered that these desirable results may be attained winding thread of, which it is constructed. Under core consists of soft rubber which is highly flexible and easily distorted butnot particularly active in its rebound characteristics; It thus supplies a support which may be readily distorted without substantial resistance when distorted by the blow of thedriver. outer zone ofthe core, formedby the highly tensioned rubber'thread, is extremely resilient and active in its rebound characteristics and the vigorous reactionof this portion of the core contributes largely to increase the range will be apparent also that of the ball. It 7 the magnitude of the distortion, the ball will remain in contact with the face of the club :period, aco dition which contributes also to for a correspondingly longer The inventionconsists in driver, so that by its flexibility and at of substantial distortion, Thesurface thereof 7 most desirable from the standpoint of lIl- 1 of thegolf' ball but also the core with. I a progressively increasing tension n the rubber I enlarged scale, of the golf ball 'tion and characteristics.

February 3,1930. Serial No. 425,401.

aspect, therefore, golf ball 7 increased in a movable eter of the core increases, center of the core a body my invention consists in a forming at the characterized chiefly the surface thereof a zone characterized chiefiyby its high re siliency. a

As an additional preferred feature, I

LAKE MARY, FLORIDA, AssIGNon TO srnnnY-rrivricon-rona V in which the tension of thecore is 7 manner as the (1151111 contemplate a golf ball in which the tension of the windings is increased, progressively rather than abruptly. rateof tension 1ncrease represented V substantially by a sine curve is particularly advantageous as under these conditions there is no violent change of tension between adjacent portions, of the core but instead, a smooth increase of tension, first at a relatively slow of the core, then changing smoothly into a rapid increase in as the diameter of the core is increased, and

rate in the inner portion the rate of tension increase this again changing into 'aslower rate of increase in the tenslon'a'djacent to theouter This condition isnot only creasing the range because it results in astableinternal condition, making the ball unlikely to become misshapen in use; I v a These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which the figure is a view, on an partly in secpartly in elevation, ferent stages of th winding, together with a c diagrammatic representation of the tension conditions throughout its winding.

I have illustrated my invention, as embodied in a golf ball having asolid spherical center 10 of soft rubber, although it would be within the scope of the invention to" employ,

a liquid center or The core of the ball is formed by'wind ing rubber thread upon the center 10, and in forming the inner windings '12 ofthe'core I showing Cllf-V other center of flexible thread is indicated by the ratio 1to-1, that is vto say,-. .,he thread is Wound in natural uni this portion of tensionedden th. 7

As the int ing iscontinued and the diameter of the core increased,'the rubberthread begins to be subjected to tension and to an increasing amount of elongation. The wind ings 14,0onstituting an intermediate zone of "the core, forexample, may be elongated from increasing to a ratio of 1-to-7, sojthat the flexibility of the body formed in the core gradually decreases, Whereas the resiliency is gradually increased. Finally, the windings 16 ofthe outer part of the core are formed of rubber thread which is highly tensioned and increasingly tensioned to the outer surface of the core. For eXar'r'ifplfe, the tension maybe increased in this Jone, as indicated in the diagram, from an elongation ratio of 'l-to-7 to l-to-lO.

In the manner above outlined, I am enabled to produce a core, the flexibility of L Which decreases progressively but Without abrupt change from its inner to its outer portion and in which its resiliency or rebound characteristics increases in an inverse ratio fas-compare'dto its fiexibilty. The result is that the outer 20116 of the ball, which .is of su'fiicient sizeto be'capa'b'le of substantial deformation, has "the maximum tendency to re bound or to reassume its normal spherical shape after being distorted, Whereas the inher portion of the core, Which is'limit'ed by its 'diamete-rto a relatively small degree of a distortion, 'has'a maximum degree of flexibil- .ing. sents'the actual tension in the rubber thread ity 's'oftha'ti't Will not resist distortion in its outer zone. 7 r V The golf ball is completed by enclosing the core produced in the manner above outlined Within an outer shell '18 of a Wear-resisting rubber compound. 7

While theadvantages of my invention are present in a ball in Which the tension of the windings is increased with the diameter of the core, I believe that the most advantageous construction is that in Which the rate of ten sion increase is represented by as in the diagram of the accompanyingjdran In this diagram, the abscissa repreordinate repin terms of elongation and the The axis resents the diameter of the core.

of the abscissa is divided into ten divisions, the first of which, marked 1, indicates the normal untensionedlength of a unit of rubb'er thread and the last, marked 10,-indicatingan elongationofl-to-lO as comparedto the normal length of the unit. The axis of "of the curve thenbeconi-es slower --t'ween successive w- '*'e-ver, that hygrading the filed November *2, "1929,

a sine curve,

the ordinate is divided into corresponding Will "be apparent that the inner windings ad ,jacent to the center 10 increase in tension first at a slow rate although at a constantly increasing-mate. After passing out of the first phase of the curve, the rate of tension increase very rapi-d,as indicated by-the steep portion of the-curve extendingitromatlhe ratio of approximately 1-to-2 to' -the point Where the "ratio becomes 1-to7. The rate'of tension increase throughout the k and slower, so that an outer zone is fonn-ed of substantial thickness and of rel-atively high tension in its'vvind-ings. in a ball wound the man "nerth'us explained, the change in tension be- 'n dings ispractically imperceptible although eachzo'ne is of increas ing resiliency *and decreasingfiexi ility. Abrupt changes tension are, 'howeverysub- .sftantia-lly-e'l imi-nated, there is no tendency to cleavage between the zones and --a stable in ternal -struct u-re is insured.

It will be nnders'tood that the preci-se eh-a racter "of the tension increase and =o ttthe limimportance only. I contemplatethat a ball r having the =windings of i ts ou ter zone tensioned as much as 1-to-' 10=willbe best adapted {for the "use-of a professional golfer andthat foriless skillful players a maximum tension ratio of "l-toiri or 8 may be preferable The importance balarming the characteristics of the ball *to {the characteristics of the indiviclu-al1:)i-ayer'hasnet been fully appreciated I have found, howtension ot the core windings between different limits I am en- -ablecl toprovide afigraded series {of ballsfrom which the individual player may select the prior to my invention.

1 'on'e b'est adapted-to his own game;

Inmy priorapplication, Serial No.404g299, 1 have disclosed a machine adapted lior winding cores of the character herein set forth, although any oo-re Winding machine having-provision for contin-u'ously varying the winding tension might be employed to produce' thesoore of my invention.

Having thus described invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure "by Let- 1. A golf ball comprising a soft '-*-rubber center, a core consisting of rubber thread -vvoundupon the center under low tensi onand, i V Y 30 increasing continuously and Without abrupt change in its tension as the diameter of the core increases, first at a relatively slow rate, then at an accelerated rate, then finally again at a reduced rate to a maximum tension at its outer surface, and an enclosing re. 2. A golf ball comprising a rubber center, a core consisting of rubber thread wound upon the center under low tension and forming therewith a highly flexible body which may be easily distorted, the tension of said thread increasing with the diameter of the core continuously and without abrupt change to a maximum tension at its outer surface, thereby forming a dense highly resilient zone enclosing a less resilient and more flexible body, and an enclosing shell for said core;

3. A core for a golf ball comprising a flexible center, and rubber thread wound thereon under low tension in its inner windings forming therewith a highly flexible body, the tension of said thread being increased continuously in a rate represented substantially by a sine curve, thereby forming as the surface is approached a dense highly resilient zone which may be distorted substantially without resistance of said flexible body and. which tends to rebound rapidly.

, 4. A core for a golf ball comprising rub ber thread wound under low tension in its inner windings thus forming a highly flexible inner body, the tension of said thread being increased continuously and without abrupt change but at a varying rate and forming a highly resilient outer zone wound under maximum tension and enclosing a body,

the flexibility whereof decreases outwardly without abrupt change.

CHARLES R. SIBLEY.

shell for said 

